


You Have to Tell Her

by season1



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Barchie Week (Riverdale), F/M, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-19 03:29:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29744313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/season1/pseuds/season1
Summary: Maybe it's time for Archie to tell Betty how he feels. Maybe it's time for Betty to let him.
Relationships: Archie Andrews & Betty Cooper, Archie Andrews & Jughead Jones, Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper, Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones
Comments: 5
Kudos: 82





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> What will Archie say to Betty? What did Archie want to say when she left his bed that night? What are all the things he's always kept inside? How will Betty respond?
> 
> Comments & kudos are too appreciated! We need more Barchie fics out here!!

“What’s wrong?” Betty almost doesn’t want to ask. Asking questions like this only makes things more real. 

“I’m trying to understand why you didn’t tell me. You have a boyfriend, Betty”. Betty’s eyes widen and she sucks in a breath. Her eyes try searching his, but she can’t register anything through her fear. “I don’t have a boyfriend. We aren’t actually together. And I didn’t think it would matter to you, honestly”. There is a long pause, silence and eye contact and nothing else. Before her brain could stop her, she hears her voice ask the question, “Does it? Matter to you.” Archie finds his words then, “What exactly are you asking me Betty?”. 

“Arch”, is all he gets back before he sees the shift happen. There was a moment of opening where she let her guard down and he swears that is such a rare occurrence, he can’t remember the last time she allowed anything real to be spoken or written on her face. Maybe he shouldn’t have pressed her. Actually, he knows he shouldn’t have pressed her but he’s scared too. And with the amount of words unspoken between them, maybe he needed some reassurance. He knows he shouldn’t have pushed – it’s instant regret when he sees her face change. It’s as if her childhood nickname for him reminded her that she was reaching territory that was much too honest to be comfortable. 

“I’m not asking anything. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, there was really nothing to tell, I can promise you that. Are we good?” It’s rushed and she sounds almost winded. By watching her eyes, he can see her next move is for the door. She finally looks up from the nearest exit to his eyes, waiting for his answer, they stand there. “Yeah” his voice cracks.

“Okay, I just remembered I promised Kev I would help out with Toni’s baby shower. I will see you later.” She moves past him before he can respond. His eyes glued to the now closed door, she just walked through. 

He really can’t believe all his choices have led him here. Betty was the closest person to him, always has been. Friend or more, she is his person and he couldn’t believe he let himself get into something so ‘casual’, with someone who couldn’t mean more to him. His eyes still on the door, playing back every conversation, every choice, every decision he made with Betty that led him here. 

He startles at a throat clearing. “Didn’t mean to eavesdrop. But I guess this is what you have been doing while I’m working at Pops.” It’s Jughead. 

“Oh god, Jug I’m so sorry.” And he was sorry. Kind of. 

“I have many thoughts, but mainly how could it get so messy so fast. We just got back in town, how long has this been going on?” Archie, couldn’t read his tone or his expression. Was he hurt? Did he want to punch him in the face? Did he feel betrayed. He probably should be feeling all of the above, he thinks. Mind you, he loved her first, another voice in his head adds. 

“It started the day after you guys all came back home. I don’t even know how it happened. And my god, have you even heard of a more stupid plan” Archie moves to the couch, sits and holds his head in his hands. 

“Seven years and all it took was 2 days. You have to tell her man.” This makes Archie look up. 

“Tell her what.” Another starring contest it seems. Archie’s energy was depleting and he really didn’t want Jughead be able to see everything he was trying to conceal. 

Instead of answering Jughead seems to take another approach, “I should be really mad. I think I am still mad about what happened 7 years ago.” 

Archie’s stomach drops. They were finally talking about his betrayal. Their betrayal. He decided on the bus ride out of Riverdale that the conversation on the bench did not count. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I have no defence, just that” he pauses, “just that, I love her.” His eyes startle, realizing what he’s said and he hears a very faint “who wouldn’t” come out of Jughead, who seems otherwise unphased and definitely not surprised at Archie’s confession. In fact, Archie seems more shocked by what he has just revealed. He loves Betty? I mean of course he loves Betty, he’s in love with Betty sure, but like not in the sense that it’s verbalized or actualized or anything that makes it outwardly real. 

Jughead, still starring, repeats “You need to tell her.” 

“Trust me, Jug, she doesn’t want to hear it. I have tried many times in our lives to tell that girl how I feel and she quite literally does not let me finish speaking.” Archie flashbacks to the Blue & Gold room, to the bunker, to the conversation that was happening literally 10 minutes ago. Betty has no interest in hearing how he feels about her. She asked him one time, in the prettiest pink dress and with tears in her eyes and that seems like the only time she ever wanted an answer. And the only time he wasn’t ready to give it to her. 

“You surprise me Archie.” Jughead scoffs, Archie’s brow furrows. “Uh, why?” Out of everything Archie was confused as to how THAT is what surprised Jughead. 

“You know Betty, like I know Betty. Sometimes I even think you know her in ways that I could never. Which means you must know she runs when she is scared. Betty excels at avoidance, consistently burying her feelings and any difficult truths. You just need to force her to hear you and convince her it’s okay to stop running from this.” Jughead pauses, maybe he’s waiting for Archie to contribute but he stays silent. So Jughead continues on, “You guys kissed 7 years ago, did you tell her how you felt then? Did you ever address it? Because all I know is it took less than 2 days for you to gravitate back to each other. Granted your situation is masked into something casual, which I feel is for Betty’s benefit. I would even go one step further and say she is the one who defined whatever arrangement you guys have going on.” Archie really hated how on the nose Jughead’s analysis was. Were they really that predictable? How did Jughead know more on the situation than he did as a full participant. 

“You guys are drawn to each other. Really seems like something no one should fight against, including Betty Cooper herself.” 

At this, Archie’s guilt was overflowing. Whether he loved her first or not, he knew what they did back then wasn’t right. “Jug, I am so sorry about what went down back then. And I’m sorry I did it again now. I’m even more sorry you are sitting hear giving me advice on a girl we both love.” 

Silence follows, just for a moment. Archie can’t really read Jughead’s face, but he doesn’t think he recognizes any anger. “I told you then and I’ll tell you again, we will always be fine. Meant it when I said you and Betty are something no one should fight against. But this is me hitting my wall. And I’ve got to get to Pops so perfect timing”, Jughead goes to walk out the door, the same door Betty walked out of earlier, he turns “Archie man, I’m serious, you have to tell her. Find a way to get her to listen.” And with that he leaves. 

Archie sits in the silence; Betty’s eyes, Jughead’s words and the biggest mistakes he’s ever made all on his mind.

TBC.


	2. Chapter 2

Betty arrives at Kevin’s apartment way earlier than their agreed upon time. She sends him a text anyway, letting him know she’s there and hopes for the best. Her conversation with Archie weighing heavily on her mind. Archie was upset she didn’t tell him about Glen. Glen, a meaningless nothing. But that’s not even why Betty didn’t think to tell Archie. That wasn’t what their arrangement was. They didn’t need to disclose meaningless nothings to each other, right? His eyes were haunting her right now, they were sad and continuously trying to search hers for something. And that’s why she had to get out of there, that’s why she is over an hour early waiting outside of Kevin’s apartment. Whatever Archie was searching for, she couldn’t let him find it – she couldn’t let herself find it. 

Kevin’s response comes quick, confirming he was making his way down to her. Thank god, she thought. Being alone with her thoughts was not something Betty had any interest in. 

“Well you being early is truly kismetatic, Cheryl has me completely freaking out. She threatened to pivot the entire Baby Shower itinerary. Co-hosting this with the queen of chaos herself, not the best decision, in hindsight.” Kevin, hasn’t even buckled in yet, already launching into the woes of Toni’s baby shower. Betty has never been more grateful. By the time they pull into Thornhill, Betty has been completely downloaded on how Cheryl originally got involved in co-hosting and has since completely taken over Kevin’s intended edgy-but-tasteful baby shower. They both had very little idea on what they would walking into as they got out of the car and made their way into the estate. 

Betty had not yet paid a visit to Cheryl, but Kevin’s brought her up to speed on her reclusive behaviour. Constant renovations, never leaving Thornhill and most worrisome according to Kevin, her departure from her signature red lip. When they do enter, Cheryl is nowhere to be found, but the set up seems completely done. Betty can’t help but feel disappointment, she was hoping to be put to work for distraction alone. 

Kevin and Betty take a seat on the couch, in the gathering room. Betty is in the middle of giving Kevin a rundown on all the ‘your father is the blackhood’ questions she’s been getting when Cheryl makes an appearance. Kevin’s gasp is audible and Betty can’t help but think Kevin got his update on Cheryl all wrong. She’s in a head to toe red suit and her red lip seemingly stained permanently. 

“Cheryl, it’s so good to see you.” And it was. Betty gets up and hugs her cousin. “Oh sweet cousin Betty, I haven’t seen you since your heart was torn between two. Did you ever get that sorted?” Betty’s stomach drops and Kevin whips his head to look at her.

Kevin speaks up first, “what is she talking about?”. Betty, still in shock, trying to find the most truthful lie in her head, waits a beat too long to respond. 

“Oh cousin, let me” Cheryl begins, “The last time the gang was all together, Betty and Archie had a tryst behind Jughead & Veronica’s back. Some would speculate this was sparked by their fake dating ruse, but I would argue the slow burn finally caught fire. Archie, being the ever-honest golden boy told Veronica, and Veronica and Archie proceeded to pretend date to keep Jughead and Betty from imploding. Hmm, am I missing any details, dearest Betty?”

If this was any indication of the Cheryl that was making an appearance tonight, Betty felt almost sick for the events to come. She was instantly reminded of all the chaos Cheryl started in their teen years; from spin the bottle, to telling Jughead about her and Archie’s first kiss. Come to think of it, all her antics that impacted Betty most, were centred around Archie. 

Betty realizing she hadn’t said a word in far too long, takes a deep breath and responds, “That’s not exactly what happened.” A lame response, with the single goal of diffusing and buying time. 

“Betty, what is she talking about? You never told me something real happened between you and Archie?” Kevin has not removed his eyes from Betty since Cheryl outed her. 

“That’s because there was nothing to tell, Kev. We kissed. Once. While rehearsing for Hedwig. It was so long ago, it’s not even worth talking about.” The most honest lie, she thinks. 

“Tisk tisk cousin. You are forgetting the most important part” Cheryl turns to Kevin, who is laser focussed, hanging on to every word. “Archie wanted to be with Betty. He wrote a song for her.” 

“WHAT” Kevin, jumps from his seat. “Oh my god, the moment I always predicted, longed for, it actually happened. And I knew nothing about it.” 

Betty ignores Kevin and turns to Cheryl, “How do you even know all this?”. Denying seems futile at this point, she’s been exposed. 

“I know everything. Speaking of, put out any fires lately, Betty?”. Her stomach turns, her lunch threatens to come up. She literally feels like she’s been time shifted back into junior year; where when these confrontations would happen, she would feel blood rush to her ears and her eyes would tear without her permission. “Cheryl, please. Can we drop this?”. She even sounds like her teenage self. 

“Lucky for you, dear cousin. Our guests will start arriving soon. Compose yourself, I want you your best self when I share the fun surprise I have planned.” With that Cheryl walks out of the room. 

The silence between Kevin and Betty is charged. “Why didn’t you tell me Archie wanted to be with you? What did you say to him? How did it all end?” Kevin speaks first. 

“He didn’t want to be with me. He loved Veronica. He was temporarily confused. Things were changing and he always sought comfort with me. And so I helped him realize it would always be Veronica for him.” 

“Betty, if Archie told you he wanted to be with you. While he was with Veronica. Then he wanted to be with you. I remember back then. Even pre-pretend dating. There were countless times I caught his eyes linger on you. And when you were fake dating, I remember thinking after the truth came out, there were so many moments where he stole touches, when he didn’t have to. I really wish you told me back then. I think I could have helped you see things clearly.” 

On top of Kevin forcing her to remember things, she has spent 7 years burying, she can’t help but feel guilty. Kevin was one of her best friends. Kevin was the person who knew how she felt about Archie, who knew how he broke her so thoroughly. Kevin was probably the only person who knew Archie broke her heart beyond repair. 

Maybe some of what Kevin was saying rang true. There were moments over the years where she felt Archie’s eyes on her. They had this habit since they were young, of speaking through their eyes. But there were times when her eyes found his, the way he was looking at her made her heart beat fast. She would never admit it, but there were moments when they were fake dating that didn’t feel fake at all. This was all too much.

“Kev, I can’t do this right now. Please.” Betty’s glossy eyes meet Kevin’s understanding ones as he nods at her, and for that Betty is grateful. 

“One last question, and we can move on. For now, at least,” Kevin begins, “What did Cheryl mean about putting out any fires lately? Betty, were you at the school with Archie? Are you guys secretly together?”

Well her cover was blown, but this she actually did not have a hard time being honest about. “We aren’t together. We started a friends with benefits type of arrangement. Jughead moved in with him and my house is crowded and I’m not super proud of it but because our options were limited, we had to get creative with where we met up.” Betty actually feels relieved. That was an easy answer and she didn’t even have to lie. Her relief dies pretty quickly with Kevin’s response. 

“Oh Betty. Friends with benefits? With Archie.” She says nothing. “Oh, Betty.” He repeats. 

“You have too much history, too much everything unspoken, unresolved. Why would you do this with Archie of all people?”

She doesn’t get a chance to answer because guests start arriving. She can breathe again. She doesn’t kid herself into thinking this conversation was over, she knows Kevin would demand answers. But she did have an answer ready, simply put; Archie and her were friends, and this arrangement works for them because that is all they are, all they have ever been. Archie told her that himself that night, long ago.


	3. Chapter 3

The night is passing, smoothly and it’s actually a lovely night. Both Betty & Archie move around the room, around each other with such grace. It’s a dance they perfected as teenagers. The difference being, back then they couldn’t linger too much on each other because they both had significant others. Significant others that always suspected, always slightly wary of their friendship. They dance around each other tonight for much different reasons. 

Seeing everyone has been nice. It’s calmer than it was back then. Betty wonders if Kevin’s worries were for nothing; Cheryl seems to be on her best behaviour. Betty watches Cheryl, she doesn’t mingle much with her guests, she more so sits back and observes, keeping a more watchful eye on Toni. Betty regards Cheryl and the loving way she looks at Toni, it actually makes her heart ache for them. 

It’s then that Cheryl abruptly stands and commands the attention of the room. It’s time for the surprise. Betty’s eyes search for Kevin and she can see him start to sweat. This feels like classic Cheryl; she has a gift for completely lulling you into a false sense of security. She demands everyone takes a seat. 

“To celebrate our Antoinette and her journey into motherhood, I felt it was only fitting to gift her one last night of thrills and pleasure. Lucky for all of you, I’ve decided to bring you along for the ride. Now I will be collecting keys from half of the guests here this evening. The other half will be plucking a set of keys from this delectable crystal bowl. And thus, the key you pluck is the one you get to fuck.”

Betty and Archie’s eyes meet immediately. Betty hates that still after all this time, her eyes search for his. They hold each other’s gaze and they are taken back to a night years  
ago that seems to have determined their fate. It set Betty on a path away from Archie, and he swears he’s been trying to find her ever since. 

Archie knows Betty is thinking of that night years ago. The only difference is her eyes are not big or glossy, they aren’t giving anything away. They are guarded as she looks back at him. He knows his eyes tell another story. 

Betty wills herself to look away from Archie’s pained expression. But they don’t break eye contact; not as Cheryl collects Archie’s keys and not as Betty plucks out Kevin’s. When she hears Cheryl announce who got Archie, her eyes break away immediately. And for the first time she can feel her guard coming down. Her eyes dance around the room as she puts all effort into a neutral facial expression and avoiding Archie’s eyes that she can physically feel are on her. Her eyes catch Cheryl’s and she’s surprised to see sympathy and possibly remorse. That’s almost worse than what she saw in Archie’s eyes. She is not the same perfect girl who loves the boy next door. She isn’t weak or heartbroken. She isn’t the non-desirable best friend. She refuses to play this role. 

She gets up and walks over to Kevin and Fangs, Kevin’s keys in hand. 

“Sorry Fangs, looks like he’s all mine for the night.” Fangs, laughs, and is about to respond when Kevin interrupts. “Betty, are you okay?” 

She whips her head at him and glares. She will not be this girl again. “I’m fine, I only had one drink,” she makes it up. Kevin gets the message and Fangs doesn’t catch on. 

-

“Well, well, well dejavu give or take a few things, huh Archikens.” Veronica stresses his old nickname, his keys swinging in her hands. Archie feels sick. He’s looking over her shoulder at the back of Betty’s head, willing her to turn around. He knows the moment she looked away that she wouldn’t meet his eyes again. 

“Archie, are you listening?” Veronica asks. “Sorry, Veronica, what was that?” He finally drags his eyes away from Betty and focusses on the raven-haired girl in front of him. 

“I asked if you want to get out of here. We can just hang out as friends.” Archie is trying to decide, he would really love to talk to Betty first but when he looks up to find her again, he sees that her & Kevin already left. 

Archie and Veronica arrive at the Penbrooke and the air feels a bit tense. Archie is in his head and hasn’t said much on the way over. Veronica breaks the silence as they stand in her doorway. “I know I said let’s hang out as friends. But I thought since I’m taking some time off from being a wife, and this is meant to be a fun game, why don’t we go for it. One night only.”

Archie just stares. Veronica is touching his arm, stepping closer. And he feels frozen. It’s not until he feels the warmth of her face inching closer that he takes a step back. “No, no Ronnie, we can’t. I won’t make this mistake again.” Shit. He realizes he said too much. “I mean, this is not a good idea. You are married and time off from that or not, this isn’t something we should be doing. It’s not something I want to be doing.” There, he clarified. 

“Archie, what did you mean by making this mistake again?” Shit. 

“I just meant that you are married.” 

“it’s more than that though isn’t it.” It’s not a question. Her eyes are on him, unwavering as he stands there not responding, not sure how much he should say. He recognizes the moment she catches on. “It’s Betty?”. His brows furrow as he looks down and that’s enough of an answer for her. 

“Wow it really is dejavu then. And the mistake you so kindly referenced, was kissing me in Cheryl Blossom’s closet all those years ago.” He sees hurt in her eyes. “I’m sorry Veronica, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Are you guys finally together?” Veronica’s use of ‘finally’ kind of throws him. 

He steps around her, having to sit down for this. “No we aren’t together. We uh.. started a friends with benefits type of arrangement.” His fingers are pushed into the corners of his eyes, applying pressure as he braces himself for her reaction. He doesn’t look up, but he doesn’t have to. 

“Oh Archie.” Veronica laughs out. Not exactly what he expected. She is laughing so hard that she’s barely able to add, “You know, on our first night back when I told you a devil may care fling would be good for you.. I most definitely did not mean with Betty. In fact, I can’t think of a worse person to do that with.”

“Yeah, I’m learning that.” He mutters. 

“I mean how did you even establish this arrangement? You had to know Betty could never be casual for you.”

He purposely skips over the last part of her statement and just answers the first. “I kind of let Betty define it. But it did sound like a good idea at the time.” 

“Are you ever going to tell her?” Veronica asks. 

“Tell her what?”

“That you love her.” Veronica said so immediately, so bluntly. Veronica echoing Jughead’s worse made him feel instantly ill.

“I never said that I loved her.” A stupid response, really. He did love her. He was in love with her. He knew it and so did everybody else apparently. 

“Archie” another breathy laugh, “you have been in love with that girl since I’ve known you – since before I knew you. I know you loved me back then, but being with you, watching you watch Betty, I always knew it was her for you. When we broke up, I told you to do whatever felt right to you. I assumed you would finally tell her how you felt. I thought the song you wrote for her was a good start.”

“She hated the song. She didn’t even let me finish playing the fucking thing.” The memory still burns him. 

“Well that’s our Betty, isn’t it? That song was probably too honest for her, too real.” He doesn’t have time to respond as Veronica quickly changes gears. “Archie, oh my god! We should not have left together.” All laughter and lightness gone from her tone. “If I felt tonight was dejavu, I’m sure Betty was thinking something similar.” She quickly walks up to him, physically lifts him off her couch so he’s standing and begins pushing him to the door. 

“Ronnie, what are you doing?” 

“You have to leave. You have to go to her and for the love of God, you have to tell her how you feel.” They are now at the door. Archie is kind of stunned at how quickly this conversation has turned so Veronica opens the door for him. “This is your do-over.” Archie feels a little guilty. Between her words and Jughead’s words from earlier, it’s clear whatever was between him and Betty was no secret to their ex’s. “Veronica. Thank you.” Is all he can think to say. He hopes she hears his unsaid meaning; that he did love her back then, his heart just was never really free when she entered his life but that didn’t take away from how much she meant to him. 

Archie makes his way home, Betty on his mind. Veronica pulling his keys out of the bowl was a gift. She was right, this was their do-over. When he finally walks up the pathway that he knows so well, he pulls out his phone and types a simple “come outside”. His hands are shaking but he feels so sure. No more running, no more letting Betty off the hook.


End file.
